Mike Rosen: End this circus and confirm Kavanaugh posthaste

The metaphorical public lynching of Judge Brett Kavanaugh by Democrats in Congress, liberals in the media and the lunatic fringe of the anti-Trump “Resistance” demonstrates that they will resort to the most foul means to achieve their desired end. This is one of the most disgraceful and indecent performances by the political opposition in our nation’s history. Any rational observer can plainly see this circus isn’t about verifiable accusations of sexual abuse involving teenagers decades ago. It’s just an obvious and deceitful delaying tactic, a last-minute desperate “hail Mary pass,” to block any conservative from filling the vacant seat on the Supreme Court. A similar attack on Clarence Thomas was a start. It’s been taken to a new low against Kavanaugh.

Democrats believe this is a winning strategy for the mid-term elections. Even if Kavanaugh is confirmed, they figure their tactics will stigmatize him and his Republican supporters in the eyes of the public and at the polls on Election Day. The Democrats’ premise is that women must be taken at their word, even without evidence, when they make claims of sexual abuse and that men who dare challenge them will be perceived as cads. (That premise, of course, wasn’t applied by Democrats, especially Hillary Clinton, to the women who accused Bill Clinton.)

But maybe the Democrats are wrong. Maybe enough Americans will see through this ruse, the theatrical antics and launch a backlash. Some good may actually come of all this. That would include, of course, the ultimate confirmation of Kavanaugh, a highly qualified and upstanding jurist, to SCOTUS. And perhaps this affair could be the last straw that starts the swing of the cultural pendulum away from the excesses of liberal political correctness, identity politics and the denial of (conservative ) free speech on College campuses. In that last category is a growth industry of hypersensitive paranoia led by leftist academics contriving an umbrella of preposterous protections to insulate their delicate student snowflakes from the mortal dangers of words and thoughts that might possibly offend them. Hence, they obsess on petty “micro-aggressions,” mandate “trigger warnings” and rail against “cultural appropriation.” Oh, my! Look this stuff up and try not to laugh out loud.

It’s also vital that an overdue return to reason restore the sanctity of due process and the presumption of innocence, the very foundation of our Constitutional system of justice. That’s what’s been denied to young men in college accused of sexual abuse, who are then tried and convicted by kangaroo courts of biased instructors, administrators and fellow students. The #MeToo movement started with a legitimate cause. But the man-haters among them seem more bent on revenge than truth or justice. They demand that, despite the absence of tangible evidence or eyewitnesses, due process be damned. That “he said/she said” disputes automatically be resolved in favor of “she.” Nonsense! This is the same unacceptable miscarriage of justice directed at Kavanaugh.

Discussing the issue of due process on my radio show one day, a #MeTooer asked how I’d feel if my daughter were sexually abused by a male student in college. I said I’d be outraged and I’d want to kill the bastard but I have an obvious bias and under the law I can’t be judge, jury and executioner. Then I asked her how she’d feel if her son were falsely accused and expelled without due process. Guess what? She dodged the question.

It’s been long affirmed that when an allegation is made against you, “you have no duty to prove a negation.” That means you need only deny the charge. The burden of proof is on the accuser. In our system of justice, you’re innocent until proven guilty. And the gender of the accuser is irrelevant. That’s why the statue of Lady Justice standing guard by the steps of the Supreme Court building wears her blindfold of impartiality.

Brett Kavanaugh has proclaimed his innocence and refused to withdraw. Senate Republicans must stand united in confirming his nomination and not reward the purveyors of this vile smear campaign whose standard of justice is reminiscent of the Salem witch trials. Betraying Kavanaugh would be a lose/lose for Republicans in November. It wouldn’t placate the seething mob but would surely outrage the GOP base and fair-minded swing voters as well.

Longtime KOA radio talk host and columnist for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Mike Rosen now writes for CompleteColorado.com.